Age of Aquarius
by carlgluftgmail.com
Summary: The Eighth Doctor and Charlie arrive on a spaceship in the direct path of a deadly ion storm, and discover a plot that could undermine the entire Earth Empire.
1. Chapter 1

The Age of Aquarius

By Gerard Luft

Chapter One

In a disused hold of a spaceship a blue box slowly materialized with a wheezing and groaning sounds. The doors opened, an a man with a long oval face framed with curly, Auburn hair, and full lips, stepped out. The handsome young man was dressed like an Edwardian gentleman with an ascot and frock coat.

A young blonde woman in a safari outfit of the same era followed him out, saying, "I can't believe you crashed the TARDIS, Doctor."

"I Didn't crash her, Charley," objected the Doctor. "It was just a mild bump."

"Mild bump, indeed! You crashed her."

"Cheeky!" He retorted as he looked around the empty creates strewn around the compartment. "Looks like the cargo hold of a spaceship. Hasn't been used in a while."

"Doctor!" Cried Charley looking out a porthole. "Look at that. It's beautiful."

The Doctor joined her, and as he peered out the porthole his pleasant, handsome face turned grave. "Yes, Charley. Beautiful, but deadly. That's and ion storm, and it's heading right for this spaceship."

"We should get back to the TARDIS."

"There might still be crew aboard this ship."

"You're right, Doctor. Looks like a rescue mission then."

"You learn fast," said the Doctor with a smile. "Let's go find them."

The Doctor and Charley excited the cargo hold. Following the winding corridors beyond, there two quickly became lost.

"These corridors go on forever," said Charley. "There as bad as the TARDIS' corridors."

"I think the control deck is this way," said the Doctor. "Maybe."

"This way, Doctor."

"Right," muttered the Doctor. "That way."

The two time travellers entered a compartment filled with view screens and control consoles.

"Looks like a control deck to me," said Charley.

"Almost," said the Doctor, hitting a few keys on a nearby panel. "This is the computer center. We'll still need to find the control deck and pilot this ship out of danger."

"That's the astrological symbol of Aquarius," said Charley pointing at the computer screen.

"Company logo," explained the Doctor. "The year is 2556. This ship belongs to one of the mega-corporations that are the real power behind Earth's Empire. Odd… This is a large vessel, but there is only one cargo container. It's identification is classified. And there's only a skeleton crew assigned it. Odd indeed… Come on, Charley! I've found the control deck. This way."

The Doctor led the way down that corridor at a run. "We have to hurry! That storm is just about upon us."

"Hold on, Doctor!" cried Charley.

"You wanted adventure, Charley," chuckled the Doctor. "This is it."

"I never expected this much running," laughed Charlie, nearly barrelling over the Doctor as he stopped to open a hatch.

They entered a large compartment with nearly half a dozen consoles facing a large view screen. The in storm in all its deadly glory filled the screen.

"Who the devil are you?" Demanded a woman as she Rose from one of the seats at a back console.

A man rose besides her, and said, "Stowaways, no doubt. We should inform Partner Withers."

"What's wing with your ship?" Asked the Doctor as he said into a forward seat.

"Nothing," said the woman.

"What do you mean, nothing? There's a in storm heading right towards you. That could kill everyone on board!"

"We've our orders to hold our position to await a rendezvous."

"I'm moving this ship to safety," said the Doctor as he got several switches.

"I don't think you will," said the man drawing a gun and putting it to the Doctor's head.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"If you pull that trigger, your all dead," said the Doctor. "Look at that storm! It's right upon us. I can't get back to my ship in time…"

"Your ship?" Asked the woman.

"... So I'm dead either way." The Doctor hit a final switch. The ship shuddered beneath their feet. Charley and the two crew plopped down in the nearest seats. "Hang on! Were going around it. Strap in. I'll be making a few tight turns."

The ship buckled about, and seemed to spin. Charley forced down her lunch, and the crew stared wide-eyed in horror at the spinning starts on the screen.

As quickly as it began, the ship came to a full stop. "There! You're alive. No need to thank me all at once."

"What's going on up there?" Demanded a voice over the speakers.

"Oh, God!" Gasped the man. "It's Partner Withers."

"Who moved the ship? We were set to rendezvous in less than five minutes."

"We would have all been dead by then, Partner Withers," said the Doctor still in the pilot's seat.

"Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"And I'm Charley Pollard," piped in Charley."

"What are you doing aboard my ship?" Demanded Withers.

"Saving it," said the Doctor. "What is such a high taking official, like a Partner of the Aquarius Corporation, doing on an empty freighter with a skeleton crew?"

"Science Officer Dobbs," said Withers, "who are these people?"

*I don't know, sir," said the woman, "but they did save us."

"Rubbish!" Exclaimed Withers. "Now get this ship back to its former coordinates. The rendezvous can't locate is on the opposite side of the storm because of the interference."

"Your science officer can't fly her back, Withers, old chap," said the Doctor. "I've just locked the helm controls with an encryption code that'll take you hours to decide."

"Bedford," shouted Withers, "get that helm unlocked!"

"Yes, sir," said the man. "Sorry, Doctor."

"Don't apologize to me," said the Doctor getting up from the helm. "You're the poor soul who has to do it. Good luck!"

"Who fired up the engines," demanded a young woman no older than Charley. She had just entered the control deck. She would have looked rather fierce if it wasn't for her baby face and blue hair. "A cold start like that could have blown the reactor."

"I did," said the Doctor. "I take it you're the chief engineer?"

"She's the trainee maintenance engineer," said Dobbs.

"I'm the only engineer on this mission," she said, "so I guess that makes me the chief."

"Sorry for the unregistered flight plans, miss…," said the Doctor.

"I'm Sally Maitland," said the girl.

"He did save your lives," said Charley. "That space storm nearly had you."

"I told Withers it could blow the whole ship if it hit us!" Said Sally.

"It's Partner Withers to you, Miss Maitland," said Withers over the speakers. The hatch opened again and six vaguely humanoid robots entered, aiming oversized rifles at the Doctor and Charley. "I think it's time to get rid of our stowaways."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The six robots raised their guns, but Sally quickly stepped in front of them, raised her arms, and said, "Hold it there, guys. You can't just kill them."

Immediately the robots lowered their weapons.

"What are you doing?" Demanded Withers. "You'll obey me, not that ridiculous girl!"

"That ridiculous girl, as you call her," said the Doctor, "cleans, fixes, and charges these robots. That kind of makes her their mother. Now, who are you going to listen to? A distant, pompous businessman, or your mum? I suppose I'm asking the wrong person that. If you listened to your mum, you wouldn't be such a heartless fellow, would you?"

"You'll pay for this, Doctor!" Shouted Withers.

"If I had an Alteran dollar for everytime I heard that, I could take my friend, Charley here on a proper space cruise," chuckled the Doctor. "So what do you ladies think about having a look at Withers' secret cargo?"

"Let's!" Said Charley. Dobbs and Sally, looked at each other, shrugged, and followed the Doctor and Charley to the hatch.

"Don't forget your friends, Sally," said the Doctor, exiting the control deck. "How about you, Bedford? Care to take a bit of a break?"

"I'm going to need to," said Bedford as he rose from the console. "I've never seen an encryption like that before."

"Thank you," said the Doctor as he let the mutineers into the corridor.

After a few minutes walk, Dobbs indicated a hatch up ahead. "This is where it's at. Off limits to all but Withers and his goons."

"He has goons, then?" asked the Doctor as he removed a slender, metal wand from his pocket. "Why am I not surprised?"

"It's locked," said Dobbs. "Only Withers can open it."

"We'll see about that," said the Doctor.

"Sonic Screwdriver, Doctor?" Asked Charley with a smile.

"Sonic Screwdriver, Charley," said the Doctor. With a whine, he waved it over the door's keypad. With a loud clock, the hatch seeing open.

The cargo hold was devoid of everything except for a large container in the middle."

"Let's see what's in here," said the Doctor as he soniced a panel on the container. It slots open, and the Doctor pulled a clear pouch from the countless others filling the container.

"This doesn't look good," said the Doctor as he pulled a penknife from his pocket, stuck it into the pouch, and locked the white powder that adhered to it. After smacking his lips a few times, a disgusted look crossed his face, and he sat upon the floor. "Yuch! It's a narcotic."

"Like heroin?" Asked Charlie.

"Even worse than that, if you could imagine. This is a synthetic narcotic, but there's something else in it. Let's see… A hypnotic! Yes, of course."

The hatch opened, and in walked a tall, slender old man, surrounded by four burly men armed with the same oversized rifles as the robots.

"You're a bit to clever, Doctor," said Withers. "Too clever for your own good."

"You had us running drugs?" Asked a very angry Science Officer Dobbs. "Your nothing more than a glorified drug dealer."

"No, no, no," said the Doctor. "Withers here has far greater ambitions than that. Look at the eyes of those goons. You're a science officer. What do you see?"

"These men are drugged," said Dobbs. "Mind control!"

"There's enough drugs here for an entire army," said the Doctor. "Isn't that right, Withers, old chap?"

"Junkie soldiers?" Asked Sally.

"An invincible army for Aquarius," gloated Withers. "The drug makes them feel like they have the strength of ten men."

"And the willpower of barely half a man," said the Doctor.

"With an entire army at our command, the Empire will be ours. The Imperial Senate will replace their standing army with our very affordable and obedient mercenaries, and then we will be the real power in this Galaxy."

"It's true," said the Doctor as he paced about, his hands behind his back, "that the mega corporations will be the real rulers behind a corrupt and shattered Earth Empire, but not in the Twenty-sixth century.

"There is still a light shining in the darkness. Your corporation may be able to fool bureaucrats and politicians, but there is one group beyond your grasp: the Adjudicators. The twenty-sixth is a golden age for them. Men and women committed to Justice, unswerving in their loyalty to humanity. Rather like Elliot Ness and his Untouchables from your time, Charley."

"Who?" Asked Charley.

"Oh. Sorry. That's right! Their a decade or two in your future. Nevertheless, Withers, while I was on the control deck, I took the liberty of sending the Adjudicators a message about you. Let's see… Their base in the Garazone System would have received it and hour ago. That's awful nearby, isn't it? They should be here in the next few minutes, I'd say.'

"You fool!" Shouted Withers. "I'll kill you all!"

"And add murder to your list of charges, Withers?"

"You'll pay for this, Doctor!" Spat Withers as he backed out of the cargo hold, motioning his goons to follow him. "You've not heard the last of me."

"You'll write me from prison then?" Asked the Doctor, but Withers and his men were gone by then.

"He'll be heading for the shuttle hanger," said Sally. "I can have the robots stop him."

"No, let him go," said the Doctor.

"But what about these Adjudicators friends of yours", asked Charley.

"It was a bit of a bluff on my part," admitted the Doctor. "But it worked."

"Should the Adjudicators be notified?" Asked Dobbs.

"It would be a good idea," said the Doctor. "Why don't you head up to the control deck. Charlie and I will join you there."

The three crew members left, but Sally stopped, have the Doctor a strange look, and then followed the others.

"Come on, Charley," said the Doctor, "let's get back to the TARDIS and slip away. I do have goodbyes."

"I'm with you," said Charley. But as they headed towards the disused cargo hold the TARDIS was in, a solitary figure watched, and followed them at a distance.

"Here's we are, Charley," said the Doctor as he approached the Police Box and fished his key out of his pocket.

"Is that your spaceship?" Asked a familiar voice behind them. It's was Sally, and she was leaning in the doorway with a disapproving frown on her face. "It's just a box."

"Just a box?" Asked the Doctor, more than a little hurt. "It's far more than a box, more than a spaceship, in fact"

"It's a time machine," said Sally.

"Good guess," said the Doctor, sincerely impressed. "How did you come up with that?"

"Back in the other cargo hold you spoke as if you knew the future of the Earth Empire as if you had already been there. Then there was the deal about you telling Charley here that the Untouchables was after her time."

"Would you like to see it. Perhaps, take a ride along. You wouldn't mind that, now would you, Charley?

"No, of course not," said Charley, with a tone of disapproval in her voice. "The e more the merrier."

"We'll in you go, Sally," said the Doctor as he opened the door. "Are you in for a surprise!"

The End


End file.
